The present invention relates to a new and improved construction of a sealing arrangement for sealing a rotating part in relation to a stationary part, wherein at both sides of the sealing location there prevails a different pressure. The invention further relates to the use of the inventive sealing arrangement.
It is already known to seal the bearing spaces of compressors and turbines at the passage locations of the shafts by means of piston rings arranged in shaft grooves. Since a large pressure gradient prevails between the spaces or chambers which are to be sealed the piston ring is pressed by virtue of the axial thrust acting thereon against the rotor shoulder. Consequently, there arises a continuous wear of the friction surfaces.
Such design is associated with the drawback that the shaft is weakened by the groove needed for receiving the piston ring, and that the piston ring is subject to relatively great wear.
To limit this wear it would be possible to provide the housing bore with a shoulder, against which there could be supported the piston ring in axial direction. But such shoulder is cumbersome to fabricate and to produce with the required dimensions.